The first thought in connection with the environmental friendliness of furniture is usually about raw materials and circularity. But handling materials and reusing products and materials are only one aspect of sustainable action. Equally important are the manufacturing process, product durability, many other factors over the course of their use, and the way manufacturers handle their social responsibility.
Materials
CO₂ EMISSIONS
When developing office furniture, particular attention must be paid to selecting as many climate-neutral materials as possible.
USE OF MATERIALS
Raw materials must be used efficiently. Waste should be reduced to a minimum and, wherever possible, channelled into further recovery. Materials used should be recyclable, biodegradable or reusable. Renewable resources and recycled materials should be prioritised. The impact of material selection on product durability must also be taken into account.
ORIGIN OF MATERIALS
When selecting materials, both production conditions (e.g. wood from sustainable forestry) and the transport routes required must be considered.
HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES
For both users and production employees, it is equally important that the materials used do not emit harmful gases or other hazardous substances. (Not harmful, but sometimes irritating, are the odours of certain new materials – cf. new cars. Such odours must not dominate and should dissipate within a short time.)
All these requirements apply both to products and to packaging materials.
Manufacturing process
WATER MANAGEMENT
Water required in the manufacturing process must be used sparingly. Largely closed water cycles are to be preferred. Wastewater must be treated or sent for treatment.
ENERGY USE
Both embodied energy (the total energy required for manufacturing, transport, storage, sales and disposal of products) and the energy efficiency of production and administration buildings must be considered. The ecological quality is significantly influenced by the source of the energy and the type of energy used. Equally important is the amount of greenhouse gases emitted as a result of energy consumption.
USE OF CHEMICALS
The use of potentially environmentally or health-damaging chemicals in the production of products must be avoided or reduced to the unavoidable minimum. Employees must be protected from contact with such substances. This can be achieved through appropriate safety measures or by training employees in correct handling. Users of the products must not, under any circumstances, come into contact with harmful substances (see also Materials / Hazardous Substances). Product, process and maintenance chemicals must be disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner.
Use phase
Some office furniture requires an energy supply – e.g. for integrated lighting elements or electrical adjustments. Their operation must be energy-efficient. It must also be possible to switch off the power supply and/or the products must feature an energy-saving stand-by mode.
Circularity
An essential part of circularity are the so-called R strategies, based on the English terms: refuse, rethink, reduce, reuse, repair, refurbish, remanufacture, repurpose, recycle and recover. These aim to reduce resource consumption, extend product lifespans, and enable the recycling and repurposing of materials.
Three examples:
REDUCE
This involves designers and production engineers as well as interior planners and buyers. It concerns material use and energy consumption, handling of offcuts, product durability and reusability, as well as conscious decisions in favour of long-lasting products.
REFURBISH
Durability and reparability are essential in office furniture. A good refurbishment concept goes a step further: it provides the basis for future changes by integrating interfaces for later extensions or technological upgrades.
RECYCLE
After their useful life, office furniture should be returned for recycling as far as possible. This requires targeted material selection, simple disassembly of products and a network that enables the return of individual materials into the raw material cycle.
Manufacturers must be prepared to take back their products at the end of their service life in order to reuse them or ensure proper disposal and recycling. However, it should be considered that the ecological costs of take-back and recycling may compete with other sustainability requirements – for example, when long-distance transport is involved.
Social responsibility
Environmental and health responsibility are inseparably linked. Companies are therefore obliged to ensure health-promoting working and living conditions throughout the entire process chain. This includes not only immediate protection of physical integrity but also measures to promote employee well-being.
Companies that claim sustainability for themselves should demonstrate their appreciation towards employees and the regions in which they are based through appropriate measures.
All of the above criteria form part of the European LEVEL certification.
